New Work
Ugh! I had ZERO great ideas for posts these past many weeks! I'm putting together some new works (and reviewing my archives for overlooked art), and as a perk for my regular readers, I'll preview some of them and a little of their backstories here.
One of my followers recently mentioned that my emails have gotten a bit stale with 'same-old' photography, and the comment helped to boost my focus to finish several partially completed images. I do have to admit to a stumbling block that happened when the most recent update
to my photo-processing software more than glitched -- it caused the software to completely fail, no matter which version I was trying to use -- and the problem lasted more than a week. After much back-and-forth with tech support and trying various recommendations, I finally had to restore an older version of my entire Boot Drive (and I've just finished reinstalling a few odds and ends of newer software apps that weren't backed up before the restoration). However, my processing software is working again, so I'm adding a number of new artworks, both here and for sale on my site.
"Soft Lotus" (above) was something I played with last year for a fine art competition; it wasn't selected, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. It's just a touch surreal, and I like the
contrast between the creamy, salmon-pink-edged petals and the dark background; it's in a style that's a bit different for me.
I took "Old White Barn" a number of years ago, when we visited Wisconsin, and always liked it. I used a texture effect to deepen the tones of the forested hillside behind the barn, and to make the foreground vegetation more dramatic, with higher contrast against the barn. I have images of two other old barns that I've given a similar treatment, and at least one of those will be added to my website.
An image I took nearly two years ago is "Autumn Below the Winds," which has fought me for
a title for weeks. I'm still not certain I'm entirely happy with this title, but it feels better than "Wind River Vista," "High Country Stillness," "Golden Meadow," or "High County Autumn." Any suggestions??? Maybe "Autumn Beneath the Winds"? (Let me know in the Comments.) The Wind River Range in Wyoming boasts 20 of the 21 highest peaks in the state (the only exception is Grand Teton in the Teton Range) with more than 40 named peaks being higher than 12,999 feet. It also seems to be the most rugged range in Wyoming, with three designated Wilderness Areas and no roads traversing the mountains.
Some of my regular readers are likely familiar with photos I took in Mesa Verde National Park a couple years ago. I've finally been able to rework an image of Square Tower House in a way I like. I feel like this muted monochrome is true to the red sandstone of the cliffs and building stones, without being the sometimes overly red that can happen when I post-process these images. I've called it "Ancestral Architecture" in a nod to the Ancestral Puebloans who likely built all the cliff dwellings in that area between 700 and 900 years ago. These people worked without metal, using only stone to shape the building stones, and mortaring them together in ways that showed not only great patience but real architectural skill. The long, crisp corners of this dwelling make me wonder if they understood the concept of a plumb line; they were certainly able to form sharp edges on building stones when needed. While the house is four stories, it's only 27 feet tall, a reminder that the people themselves were seldom taller than about 5' 3".
This one, titled "Golden Hour Rainbow," was captured in northern New Mexico, not far from Raton, shortly before sunset and as a rainstorm was clearing up. The golden light on the rocks of the bluff provide a tiny secondary highlight to draw the eye to base of the rainbow. It's one of the very few rainbow photos I've managed to take that I was happy with, so I'm glad to add it to the new work on my website.
One final image for this post is a really old photograph from my archives. It's from when we still lived in northern California, and features an old excavator abandoned in a field. The license plate on the excavator dates to the time when black and yellow plates were used, between 1963 and 1969. The grafitti caught my attention from the highway, and on getting
closer, I was able to see the penguin clearly. That whimsical little addition meant I "just had to" photograph it! I've played with it off and on over the years, but finally decided cropping it to the 16x9 ratio did the most for it by eliminating a lot of hazy, white sky and a bit of the meadow in the foreground.
As always, I invite you to review the rest of my website and the Shop Art section for additional work that I'm proud to show. When you're looking for photo art for your home, office, or commercial space, remember that the work of an independent artist won't be found in warehouse stores or retail markets. My work is human-made, my own, and unique.
Golden Hour Rainbow reminds me of God's promise to never again destroy the earth by flood.
But, the image is also interesting for other reasons. I enjoy your process and how you described your editing or enhancements. You were always such a brilliant person in life and I appreciate how your found your special gift in photography. Jama